CAME-TV presented, among other products, their new duplex headphones called CAME-WEARO. They will operate as a set of up to four wireless headphones and should ensure seamless communication between team members. We talked with David Wong from CAME-TV during the IBC show and found out more about it.
As David stated, the aim of the product is to increase efficiency on filmset by assuring seamless communication between team members. This can be useful for instance on a liveshow with multiple cameras. This idea is not entirely new of course as there are other products like this on the market, but CAME-WEARO offers few interesting features.
The headphones will be available as a standard kit of four pieces – one master and three slave units. It will also be possible to only buy a set of two or three headphones – master and one or two slave units. Every unit has three buttons on the side of one ear cup to control volume and pairing. The CAME-WEARO headphones feature a portable folding design.
Muting the headphones’ microphone is easy as it only requires turning/lifting the microphone to an upright position. The duplex headphones use standard Canon NB-6L batteries so it is easy to buy spare batteries basically anywhere. The 1100mAh battery gives them approximate talking time of 12 hours.
CAME-TV offers their CAME-WEARO duplex headphones in two versions:
single headset – only one side is equipped with speaker, the other side is without speaker so that user has one free ear to hear surroundings better
dual headset – both sides are equipped with speakers for stereo sound
Pairing the headphones is easy and fast. In a couple of seconds it is possible to pair slave headphones with a master. Even after buying additional replacement headphones pairing is not an issue.
The range of the headphones is between 300 and 600 metres in unobstructed open space. It supports group calls simultaneously.
The communication technology used in the headphones is called time division duplex (TDD). It refers to duplex communication links where uplink is separated from downlink by the allocation of different time slots in the same frequency band. It is a transmission scheme that allows asymmetric flow for uplink and downlink transmission and users are allocated time slots for uplink and downlink transmission. That makes the communication seamless, like having a conference call.
Channel bandwidth of the headphones is 1.728GHz and transmission speed is 1.152Mbps. CAME-WEARO headphones use different frequency bands for different parts of the world to comply with local frequency restrictions. All frequency settings are being handled by software.
The CAME-WEARO duplex headphones should be available in two months and the four-piece set should cost around $600.00 USD. CAME-TV also aims to offer a hub in the future which will be able to connect up to 6 headphones slave units. For even bigger production crews, more hubs can be used.
What do you think of the CAME-WEARO duplex headphones from CAME-TV? Which headphones do you use for fast on-set communication? Let us know in the comments below.

On a shoot, a lot of things can happen, and you have to be prepared for the worst. Here are various tools and accessories that can really save you on set. I never leave home without them.
When I’m going on a shoot, I always make a list of the gear I’ll need. That gives me the peace of mind that I haven’t forgotten anything.
Light kit? Check. Camera? Check. Grip? Check. But even if you prepare yourself for days in advance, you never know what might happen or the number of things you’ll have to fix directly on the shoot.
That tiny screw that doesn’t want to come out, the electric cords that you need to secure, the little adapter you left on your desk… Here is a comprehensive accessories list, in no particular order, for a solo operator or small crew. It has saved me a hundred times.
A multi-tool
You should always have this accessory in your pocket, even in your everyday life. It’s basically a 12- to 26-item toolkit (depending on the model you choose) in one package.
The basic incorporated tools that you’ll need are:
Regular pliers
Philips screwdriver
Flathead screwdriver
A straight blade
A bottle and can opener because we never know.
A multi-tool will let you quickly repair, cut, and unscrew things, whether related to camera, light, or grip.
The best-known brand of top-notch multi-tools is probably Leatherman, but you can also take a look at the ones from Gerber and Victorinox. When I started in the industry, I made a mistake and bought a cheap, off-brand multi-tool. As you can guess, it totally broke, and I ended up buying a new one a year later. Save yourself some time and money, and buy an established, reputable brand—it’ll last you at least two decades.
When you’re traveling take care not to put this in your hand luggage, you’ll not go through the check-in process with this tool.
A set of tools
In addition to my multi-tool, I always carry some other basic tools: different sizes and types of screwdrivers, a wrench set, some hex keys, a couple of spring clamps…
With those simple tools, you are covered for all manner of basic fixes on set.
Gaffer tape
Let’s keep it simple here—gaffer tape is really THE accessory that you can use to fix anything on set. I could make an entire book about the uses for this stuff. You can secure cables, label gear, attach your microphone (if you forgot the microphone mount at home), or put a piece of gaffer on a shirt to cover the brand… Imagination is the limit.
You can tear gaffer tape with your hands, yet it is super strong, sticks to everything, and doesn’t leave any residue on whatever surface you put it on. Gaffer tape is available in multiple colors and different widths. From the basic black 50mm gaffer to the electro green 25mm, it’s a good idea to have a few different rolls in your bag.
A pair of gloves
Here, you have the choice. I always have a pair of “grip gloves” in my bag. They are designed for manipulating hot lights, and they keep your hands clean when handling dirty things, like for example, electric cords in a muddy environment. They are made of leather and are extremely resilient and comfortable. They just won’t protect you from the cold.
If you’re not manipulating hot lights, some more technical gloves could be a better fit for you, like the ExoSkins from Bright Tangerine. They will protect you from the cold, protect your hands from cuts, the fingertips are compatibles with touchscreens, and you won’t feel like you are wearing mittens. The downside is, you won’t be able to manipulate hot lights.
So it’s your choice. Ideally, you can carry both in your bag—it never hurts and won’t add that much weight.
C-47s
C-47s or clothespins, call them what you want. They are used to attach gels directly onto the barn-doors of your light. I prefer the wooden C-47s because they don’t melt like the plastic ones. Get a lot of these, because you’ll lose some from shoot to shoot.
Cleaning kit
I carry my lens cleaning kit inside my accessories bag, in its own pouch. I usually try to clean all my lenses before I leave home, but dirt always comes in during a shoot.
What everyone should have in his or her kit:
A can of compressed air. The industry standard is probably Dust-Off ®. It’ll get rid of most of the dust, but try to never spray it directly in the front element of your lens.
An air blower like the Giottos Rocket Blaster. Flip your lens upside down so the dust doesn’t go inside it, and a couple of squeezes on the Rocket Blaster should remove the last dust particles.
A lens-cleaning solution. I personally use the Rosco Lens Cleaner in conjunction with the Rosco Lens Tissues. Lens tissues are cheap and one-use only. Speaking of lens-cleaning fluids, other companies also make some nice ones, like Pancro or Zeiss. Try to avoid micro-fiber lens cleaning cloths—apart from brand new ones, they’ll never be clean again. If dust or particles are inside your micro-cloth tissue, they can ruin your cleaning, or even worse, scratch your lens.
Poly Bag / Rain Cover
I’ve had my 4′ x 4′ poly bag for years now, proving that sometimes the simplest accessories are the most useful ones. If it suddenly starts to rain, I can quickly unfold it and put it over the camera and camera bag.
Some lights
The shoot is over, it is nighttime, and you now have to pack everything in your car. You want to switch your Fresnel lights off so they can cool down, but if you do, you’re left in the dark. Go into your accessories bag and grab your headlight. I have to admit, you’ll not look very sexy, but you’ll easily see what you’re doing and have both hands free.
You can also carry a Maglite® in your bag. I have one attached to my accessories bag, so I can look quickly at what’s inside.
Emergency electric cords
This is what I like to call the emergency kit. Are you out of extension cords or power outlets? I always carry along two extension cords and a couple of electrical power strips, just in case we underestimated on the gear list.
Pens and sharpies
Inside the accessories bag, I have an entire pouch dedicated to pens, sharpies, permanent markers, bold pencils, etc. I use them to write on the script, write on the slate, write on the ground, write on the gaffer tape, write marks on the follow focus, and so on. Try to get yourself different colors and different kind of marking tools so you can write on anything. But please, don’t write with a permanent marker on the slate.
Screws
It happens so many times—you never have the right screw with you. So one day, I decided to buy nearly every camera screw and every screw adapter I could get my hands on. From ¼ to 3/8, from 15mm to ¼, the list of situations you’ll face is endless. Get yourself a little box, and put a lot of them inside. It can really make your life easier.
Audio and video adapters
Similar to screws carry a small bag, I personally use a Think Tank Cable Management 20, with an assortment of video and audio adapters so you’re covered.
You came to shoot an event, and you want to get the sound from the stage directly into your audio recorder. Those XLR / 6.3mm / 3.5mm / RCA adapters, plus the male/female ones will ensure that you’re good. It’s basically the same for video adapters—from HDMI to SDI, male/female, just get a bunch of them.
Slate
It can sound like a cliché, but a basic slate can really be useful. Apart from making you look professional on set, it’s a cheap investment that will last your entire career. Sure, you can do it with your hands, but it’s no fun.
Medical stuff
The most surprising part of my accessories bag is probably the small pouch dedicated to first aid supplies. I always bring a bunch of ibuprofen, some antiseptic tissues, and a couple of bandages with me. It’s easy to cut yourself on set, or someone is having a headache. They’ll truly appreciate that you take care of them, and you can keep your shoot going.
The bag
This one is really personal, but after years on set, I chose to store everything in a CineBags CB11 Production Bag. This bag is awesome, well-padded, easy to carry around, and you can store a lot of things in it.
On the outside, there are three pockets. I use one for my electric cords, one for the slate and the polybag, and one for my business cards and documents of the day.
But what really sold me on this bag is the inside and how everything is stored. There are four pouches and four mesh zip pockets inside for storing all your parts. If you label everything inside, it’s really easy for someone on set to open the bag and find what they need. This bag has been clearly designed by people in the industry to make your life easier.
These are the fundamental accessories I always bring with me, on every type of production.
And you, what do you bring with you on every shoot? Let us know in the comments down below!

My name is Louis Mayo, and I’m from Escondido, California. I’ve been able to craft a career creating diverse content for an equally diverse clientele keeping my dream of storytelling alive.
Name: Louis Mayo.
Currently based in: Los Angeles, CA.
Language(s) spoken: English.
Occupation: Director.
How did you get started in our industry? I moved to LA for college with only my savings and not knowing a single soul. During the UCLA Producing Program, I landed a pretty cool internship with Legacy Entertainment where I directed my first commercial with actor Eric Roberts (Julia Robert’s brother and actor in The Dark Knight). I even got to film a celebrity yacht party! That turned into many opportunities of filming red carpets and extending my network. I met a few people around town who also were into film (surprise), so I started creating short films for little contests here and there and even won a small prize from American Airlines!
Since my savings was running out quickly, I got a job at a local production company immediately after completing the Producing Program. Working there for about 6 months, I had to quit before the poisonous environment and culture of deceit, obsession over power, and immoral behavior set in. As you can imagine, quitting the job put me in a financial predicament and I was running out of money fast, but failure wasn’t an option. Putting my ego aside, I decided to apply for part time jobs at the local malls for very little pay. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough hours to pay the bills, so I decided to throw in the towel and move back home to Escondido by the end of the month. With the little money that I had left I decided to pay for a retreat at my local church. It was the best $40 I’ve ever spent! I came back recharged and ready to accept the departure from my Los Angeles dream and then a miracle happened… I got a phone call for my first paid gig! That was in November of 2011, and I’ve been working in the industry every since. Oh and yes I still live in Los Angeles!
Current assignments: Oh boy… Currently, I am in pre-production for 4 music videos, producing premium content for Crunch Fitness, filming a Live award show, on call for Playboy’s film department, and am in post-production for 3 videos that I filmed prior.
What types of productions do you mostly shoot? I operate under my production company Viewbility creating content in many different genres for a diverse clientele. My portfolio is as diverse as it gets and I like that.
What is your dream assignment/job in our industry, and what are you really passionate about? With today’s constant news of hate and violence, I truly believe it is a perfect time for filmmakers like myself to make a positive change. Today, fame, fortune, excess, and violence rule the media and are used just for the sake of entertainment. I don’t think any of these anecdotes of storytelling are inherently wrong, but the majority of the media’s execution of these attributes are empty and do not allow the audience to really understand the repercussions of such vices. And that is irresponsible.
I believe motion pictures have an unmatched ability to influence the masses and the director has a responsibility to use that power for the greater good. I envision the trajectory of my directing career will continue to gain momentum as a turnkey filmmaker creating thought-provoking Hollywood-quality films with other like-minded storytellers, studios, and brands. Just like today, each project no matter how big or small gets seen by the right people, other challenging opportunities emerge, and the process repeats. This trajectory has proven to be quite valuable as it has allowed me to create stories for many different perspectives, giving me a wide range of skill sets rather than being put in a box to choose one genre to specialize in.
In the work that you are presenting us, now that it is done, what would you have done differently throughout the production? It’s hard to decide what I would do differently with Mad Love now that is finished and released to the world. The process was very organic, rich in passion and fulfilling, so I find it hard to imagine wanting the process to be any different than it was. I guess the easiest answer would be more crew and two locations. But like I said: the process – although daunting and intimidating – was very rewarding to warrant any change or modifications.
What current camera, lenses and sound equipment do you use? That’s a tough question to answer! I have many different production gear to fit the story or tasks at hand. For cameras, I currently own the Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro, Blackmagic Ursa Mini 4.6K, Blackmagic Ursa V2, Kinefinity Kinemax 6K, Panasonic GH5, and Sony A7s (with Atomos Shogun). For lenses, I own the Sigma Art 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 18-35mm, 50-100mm, and Tokina 11-16mm. For audio, I have the Tascam 680 MkII, Sennheiser ME66 with K6 Modulator, Sennheiser G3 Lavelier Kit, and Rode Wireless Filmmaker Kit.
For Mad Love I chose to film with my Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro using my Sigma Art 18-35mm and 50-100mm lenses, Easyrig Minimax for handheld, Atomos Shogun for monitoring, and a Benro H10 tripod.
You chose to shoot your project with a Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro. Can you please describe why you chose to use it, what was your workflow, were you happy with the results and will you ever go that way again? I chose to use my Blackmagic Ursa Mini Pro over my other cameras for its relatively small size and weight, 15 stops of dynamic range, 4.6K in 4:1 Raw, and clean high frame rates without line skipping.
As far as workflow on set, I film to CFast 2.0 cards and transfer the first batch of dailies onto SSDs in my system and then to an external drive to ensure that the media is offloaded and immediately ready to be re-used. Fortunately, my laptop has two MSata ports and two SATA ports, so I am able to have four SSDS internally while still maintaining a somewhat slim build similar to the pre-Retina Macbook Pro thickness. My laptop also has an Nvidia GeForce 980M graphics card with 8GB of Vram so I can play back and color dailies in real time to make sure everything is looking good right on set.
I used the DaVinci Resolve clone tool to archive dailies on set, edit, sound mix, color, and render. Being able to keep the entire post production workflow in one software is fantastic – round tripping is a whole job in itself and skipping that lengthy step saved me so much time and headache especially with the overcranked cuts. Fortunately, I was in post-production during the time DaVinci Resolve 14 was released, so I was able to use the new Fairlight audio tools which really helped optimize my sound design and efficiency. I would definitely use this workflow again and have been using DaVinci Resolve for post-production for a few years now.
What’s your favorite light equipment and why did you choose that kit over other solutions? I used three of my Westcott Skylux as key for interiors, and four of my Aputure LS1s as key for exteriors and set lighting. I chose the Skylux as my interior key lighting due to its mono light form factor which allows it to be softened and controlled better than the panel form factor of the Aputure LS1s. I also really like how the Ursa Mini Pro translates the Westcott Skylux’s color rendition. The Aputure LS1s was also very crucial to our lighting setup because I not only used them to compliment the Skylux’s by filling in sections of the set, but used it as key lights for our exteriors thanks to its battery operation and raw power. I even used them to shoot through a garage window for both day and night scenes, as it is that strong and versatile. I must say my favorite light right now is my newly-purchased Rayzr 7 300D. It is a 300watt LED Fresnel light that can flood the set or shoot from a mile away while still letting you plug in more lights into the same circuit. It has a 98 TLCI color rating and can dim all the way down to 1%, a feature that is oftentimes overlooked but can be a real time saver when you want one fixture that can do it all.
Do you use drones or gimbals in your productions? If so, what is the most effective way you’ve found to deploy them? It’s funny that you asked – I’ve owned a DJI Ronin MX for almost a year now with the ring grip, dual batteries, thumb controller, and custom case, yet I still choose to fly my Glidecam 2000 with Panasonic GH5 w/V-Log. Very often on set, time is scarce, and the Ronin MX involves batteries and software to worry about in addition to rigging and balancing it. With my Glidecam, I just pull it out of my bag already built and balance it in a few seconds without worrying about software calibration or whether my batteries are charged. Plus, the many years of experience perfecting my technique and the better z-axis control make the Glidecam a better choice for me. Now that I have purchased feet for my grip ring and saw that Ikan and DJI have thumbwheel focus systems, I just may start using my Ronin MX more, but I still have to figure out a simple and efficient solution for that Z-Axis…
I do own a drone: a 3DR Solo with a GoPro Hero 4 Black with modified lens to remove the fisheye distortion. I love the smart functions of the 3DR Solo, which allow me to execute very complicated shots in repetition. However, there are caveats to this drone like its inconsistent gimbal, unstable float and lack of the kind of safety features found on DJI’s newest offerings.
What editing systems do you use? For editing at my studio (bedroom), I use my custom-built PC. This might be nerdy, but may be helpful for those looking to build their own. The system consists of an Intel 5960X 8-Core CPU, three AMD Radeon Fury X GPUs (not in crossfire), six SSDs in 3 separate RAID-0 arrays (Media 1, Media 2, and Scratch), two 7,200RPM HDDs in 8TB and 3TB for redundant archiving and plug-ins. My CPU and GPUs are all watercooled for obvious reasons. Fortunately, DaVinci Resolve utilizes every piece of gear that I have to its maximum potential.
How much of your work do you shoot in Log and what is your preferred way of colour correcting? I shoot just about everything in Log. I’ve been coloring for quite a few years now and I feel more comfortable knowing that I have more flexibility and control over the final aesthetic of my images. As far as color correcting, I try to categorize adjustments in separate nodes so that it is not only cleaner, but also allows me to easily fine-tune each correction. I prefer not to use LUTs as I haven’t found any that gives me a near-finished look. I figured I’d be able to color the footage on my own from scratch in the same amount of time it would take me to adjust a LUT to my taste. Every film requires a different look of course, but if I had to pinpoint my style I’d say I try to keep my color grading subtle, where the images look like a more tasty reality rather than a heavily-colorized image. There are definitely times for thick color grades, but I haven’t been in too many situations where the story called for it, so it seems I have developed somewhat of a look with my films.
How frequently do you travel, and do you have any tips when it comes to packing your gear? I’ve actually traveled more this year than probably any other year combined! The best tip I can give to anyone flying with gear is to keep all of your camera gear with you at all times. DO NOT check in your camera gear! The last straw was 2 years ago when I checked in my 2-camera package (A7s and GH4) in a Pelican 1510. Once I got to my destination, I saw that not only had the very tough Pelican 1510 received a huge blemish, but also the EVF cushion on the a7s cushion came off the camera, and the lens cap of my Sigma Art 18-35mm had dislodged into the lens element, bending my step-up ring in the process. Never again.
What I recommend is to build a camera package that can fit in a carry-on sized case – preferably a hard case. For example, my Pelican 1510 can fit my Ursa Mini Pro (with top, side, and V-mount plate attached), top handle, lens support, 15mm rod adapter with rods, Sigma Art 18-35mm, Sigma Art 50-100mm, Tokina 11-16mm, two V-Mount Chargers, a Pelican C-Fast case holding up to six cards, three V-Mount Slim Batteries, a regular-sized V-mount battery and a small bag of miscellaneous gear. For my Kinefinity Kinemax, I just got a carry-on sized case from SKB that has an included soft case inside it, so that I can remove it if an airline insists that I check-in the hard case.
The way I look at it, if all the gear I checked in gets lost or damaged I can at least still capture an image. It wouldn’t be an ideal situation, but still gives me a fighting chance to deliver a product versus not having a tool to capture an image at all.
If you want to see more work from Louis Mayo, head over to www.Viewbility.com, or check out his YouTube channel.

In this final part of our conversation with Ben Griffin, we discuss the issue of budgets in music videos: big, small, and the advantages that each have to offer.
As we discussed in episodes 73 and 74, Ben Griffin is a music video producer, director and DP who currently runs his own music video production company in Los Angeles. In this episode we talk about some of his best recent work, one of which you can see below.
But what is Ben’s level involvement with the project? He tells us that the creative role of the director has changed quite a lot with time. While back in the times of multi-million dollar music videos it used to be that a director would be behind the concept, these days it is usually the record label that approaches a director with a concept already in mind. The director’s role, then, is to execute this already existing vision. Alternatively, artists may approach a director without a record label as a mediator and, although many times this means a lot more creative freedom for the director, it usually means a much smaller budget too. So it seems that it is always a give and take of creative control vs. budget.
One of the reasons why the record labels have so much more creative control could be down to recent ways in which this industry needs to monetise its content. After a couple of decades of pirating and illegal streaming which saw heavy losses for the music industry, this sector is finally taking back some income revenues in the form of legal streaming platforms such as Spotify, as well as advertisement revenue and product placement in music videos. Ben Griffin explains that this, in turn, has lead to budget increases in music video production.
We also touch on the topic of business. Should every aspiring filmmaker aim to start their own company? Ben considers himself as much of a businessman as he does an artist, so starting a company was a clear decision for him but, as he points out, that is just because of the way he operates. Running a business is certainly not for everyone, and is an area where many creatives can actually struggle.
Ben’s journey is far from over. His dream is still to shoot a feature film, fuelled by that passion that he developed as a little kid. However, patience is the name of the game. Many people only get one shot at it, and so he advocates for waiting for the right project, the right budget and the right time in order to make something really worthwhile.
Please visit our sponsors’ websites to keep new episodes of ON THE GO coming!
KesslerFUJINONG-TechnologySchneider-Kreuznach
Watch previous episodes of ON THE GO (& On the Couch) by clicking here. Visit our Vimeo and YouTube playlists, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

In this part of our talk with music video director and producer Ben Griffin, Ben tells us about how he adapted his workflow to change with the times.
The evolution of the music industry during the past couple of decades meant that big artists were no longer spending millions on their music videos. In order to adapt to the times, music video producer, director and DP Ben Griffin saw the necessity to streamline in order to reduce costs and be able to offer his work at a competitive price.
In a time when most music videos were still being shot on film, Ben saw an opportunity in the emergence of the then brand-new RED One. Although many were skeptical of the new era of digital filmmaking, Ben Griffin was one of the early adopters of the technology, which allowed him to offer an image comparable to film, but at a fraction of the cost.
This very same drive to stay ahead of the curve by streamlining logically led him to initially wear many hats on his productions, taking the roles of director, DP and producer. However, upon moving to LA, he would soon discover that, while this method of working may have worked in the smaller filmmaking industry of the Bay Area, things were done very differently in Hollywood.
Please visit our sponsors’ websites to keep new episodes of ON THE GO coming!
KesslerFUJINONG-TechnologySchneider-Kreuznach
Watch previous episodes of ON THE GO (& On the Couch) by clicking here. Visit our Vimeo and YouTube playlists, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

For this round of cinema5D ON THE GO, we welcome music video filmmaker Ben Griffin.
Ben Griffin is a director, producer and DP originally from the San Francisco Bay area, but who is currently based in LA and focuses on producing music videos. He shares with us how he developed a passion for the filmic medium from an early age, as well as a taste for MTV music videos.
Ben’s interest in the industry led him to being involved from a young age, eventually deciding to study at the Academy of Art in the San Francisco Bay area. Having to leave education due to personal circumstances, Ben continued working in the industry as a PA, and later as an editor for what he describes a “straight-to-Blockbuster feature”.
After starting a later venture in DVD production for car shows, his shooting style was recognised by record labels and members of the music industry, which opened the door to his first forays into these kinds of productions.
In the standard-def, pre-YouTube era of Myspace, Ben found his style in using 35mm adapters for video cameras and, armed with a Panasonic HVX200, he went on to create videos that really drew an audience. As his work evolved, it became clear what the next logical step was: to start a professional music video production company.
Stay tuned to cinema5D ON THE GO for more about Ben’s career in the music video industry, and some pretty hilarious anecdotes!
Please visit our sponsors’ websites to keep new episodes of ON THE GO coming!
KesslerFUJINONG-TechnologySchneider-Kreuznach
Watch previous episodes of ON THE GO (& On the Couch) by clicking here. Visit our Vimeo and YouTube playlists, and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes!

That age-old question: what gear should I get? In this episode of cinema5D essentials, I decided to answer this question once and for all, in a video as entertaining and educational as I could think of.
Which Gear Should I get?
For the last 9 years we’ve been constantly on a quest to find better gear to work with and make digital filmmaking easier and more affordable. As we like to work with the gear we test, my new Gear Guide is an attempt to share some of the experience I’ve had with the equipment along the way. Note that this gear guide reflects only Seb’s gear recommendations for the time being. The other authors of cinema5D will follow.
Some of our regular readers will notice that the video is targeted at a broader audience looking for gear tips and recommendations. We receive requests for gear tips quite regularly but, even though we try to answer them individually, this can unfortunately be difficult sometimes due to our everyday workload.
Gear Used in the Video
The video should really speak for itself, so I will not go through the seven essential pieces of gear in this text. Instead, I would like to give you some background on the video production itself.
Camera
I used the Blackmagic URSA Mini 4.6K as it gave me beautiful, cinematic 4K rendering in a studio environment. I never use it outdoors, but in a studio environment there is no other affordable camera that’s so easy to use and gives such a pleasing picture. I went back and forth between camera and computer to check and implement my shots into the evolving editing timeline and it was an effortless process.
Lens
My lens of choice was the Zeiss CP.2 50mm Macro T/2.1. This is probably my favourite lens of all time and, although it’s bulky and expensive, whenever I put it on a camera I just love the image it gives me. Additionally, its macro design means I’m not as limited on how close I can get to an object. Bokeh and highlights are beautifully cinematic.
Lights
I mention the ALZO 3200 Low Noise in the video, which I used with the ALZO 36″ soft box. While it doesn’t have the best build quality, it is super affordable and is an extremely bright light with a great, clean white rendering. I used it as a key light for the top-shot gear photos and every single shot in the video. Due to its special design it is just a little inconvenient to use, but produces a relatively low fan noise.
The second light I used was the Aputure Light Storm 120d. It has a lower output than the ALZO, but delivers good light color and is convenient to use. I used this one with a 24″ Westcott beauty dish, the best soft box I know albeit not the largest, which makes it perfect for a back light. I added two additional CTB gels to give me that blue back-light tone on my skin.
The blue color in the video comes from a tiny light that will knock your socks off. The Luxli Viola 5″ is a very small LED that lets you dial in any color you like. It isn’t cheap, but it’s the perfect background color light and is super convenient to use. I have two of these, but only used one of them for the video.
Tripod
The Sachtler FSB-6 with quick legs was my tripod of choice. It’s getting on in years now and the FSB-8 would be a better option today, but it still gets the job done even though the URSA Mini is a bit on the heavy side.
I hope you found this video and gear lists helpful. We have never had a proper gear guide on cinema5D, but I know we’re one of the websites where people regularly look for gear tips. With over 3600 articles on our site, it can be pretty hard to find stuff, so hopefully this gear guide will make things a bit easier.
Let us know how you liked this episode of cinema5D essentials. And if you have gear tips of your own, why not share them with us and the rest of the world?

The Red Giant Spring Sale is on! Enjoy 24 hours of significant discounts across their wide catalogue of filmmaking and VFX plugins.
Starting today April 18th, filmmaking and motion graphics software developer Red Giant is offering a 25% discount across the board for 24 hours. You can find a link to the store HERE.
Red Giant Spring Sale
The Red Giant Spring Sale applies to all plugins and suites, so whatever part of post-production you specialise in, you are bound to find something useful. Let’s take a quick look at some of their products:
Magic Bullet Looks
Perhaps the company’s most popular plugin, Magic Bullet Looks allows you to quickly add a cinematic grade to your footage. With its easy-to-use interface, it’s a great tool for editors getting started in colour grading. The software recently got some much-needed added functionality for Premiere Pro CC, and usually retails for $399. You can also get it as part of the Magic Buller Suite for $899, which includes Magic Bullet Colorista IV, Magic Bullet Denoiser III, and Magic Bullet Film among many other colour correction and grading tools.
Pluraleyes 4.1
Another popular program from Red Giant is the venerable Pluraleyes, a great tool to sync footage and audio. In just a few clicks, you can import from all your different audio and video sources, sync and export a timeline in your preferred NLE format of choice, or you can use it directly within Premiere (check out my tutorial HERE). Usually available for $299, you can also get it as part of the Shooter Suite ($399) which includes a range of utility plugins to facilitate various post-production tasks.
Trapcode Suite 13.1
If your thing is VFX, then you should check out the Trapcode Suite. Usually available for $999, it is a very comprehensive plugin package for Adobe After Effects that includes Trapcode Particular 2.6 for 3D particle effects, Trapcode Mir 2.1 for 3D surfaces and wireframes, Trapcode Shine 2.0 for 3D light ray effects, and much much more.
The Red Giant Spring Sale will get you significant discounts from the prices listed above on individual products, as well as for the suites and upgrades. Also, the 25% discount can be added on top of the existing 50% in their academic store. To get the discount, don’t forget to add the coupon code available from the Red Giant website for 24 hours starting April 18th.
For more information, visit the Red Giant site.
What do you think of Red Giant products? Let us know in the comments below!